Lieutenant John Berry is a major antagonist in the Bernard Cornwell novel Sharpe's Eagle and one of the two secondary antagonists, with Christian Gibbons, of the television adaptation.
He was portrayed by Daniel Craig, who also played Sakharine and Red Rackham in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, Jaapie Botha in The Power of One, John Ballard in Elizabeth, and Connor Rooney in Road to Perdition.
Biography[]
Novel[]
John Berry was a junior officer in the South Essex and a crony of Christian Gibbons. During the battalion's disastrous action at Valdelacasa, he lost his horse and was thus one of the few officers left behind alive in hostile territory after Sir Henry Simmerson retreated with most of the survivors and blew the bridge behind them. He reluctantly accepted Lieutenant Richard Sharpe's command after discovering his commission was senior to him.
After returning to camp, Berry and Gibbons played cards with Josefina Lacosta, who staked her body when her money ran out. Josefina claimed she had won and they had cheated, while Gibbons and Berry claimed she had refused to pay and stolen their money, with Berry attempting to rape her. Captain Sharpe stepped in, punching the two lieutenants, and took Josefina back to his quarters. To pay him back, Gibbons and Berry drunkenly beat Josefina and attempted to rape her.
Swearing revenge, Sharpe took advantage of a night-time skirmish with the French to draw Berry away from the battalion. After forcing him to confess to his treatment of Josefina, Sharpe killed Berry with a sword thrust through the throat.
Television[]
Lieutenant Berry was a sullen junior South Essex officer often seen in the company of the foppish Lieutenant Gibbons. He approved of Simmerson's fondness for flogging, having Private Dodds parade the day after receiving the lash with a threat of further flogging if he didn't come up to scratch. Berry was aware of Gibbons' lack of success with Josefina. He seduced one of Josefina's maids, dismissing Gibbons' surprise at him sleeping with someone of low status by noting he wasn't exactly "top drawer" himself, and learned Josefina was short of funds. He played Gibbons at cards, offering him the money to pay Josefina's maids in return for a promise that Berry could make a play for her himself if he won. After beating Gibbons, Berry produced a whip, saying he was going to teach Josefina respect. His assault on her was stopped by Lieutenant Sharpe, who placed her under her protection.
After the disastrous actions at Valdelacasa saw the South Essex turned into a battalion of detachments and Sharpe made captain of the light company, Simmerson told Gibbons and Berry they had enjoyed his patronage and must now take care of Sharpe for him. Berry came up with the idea of provoking Sharpe into a duel, confident he could beat him, and knowing that even if Sharpe won he would be disgraced for disobeying orders forbidding duels. He and Gibbons beat Josefina and tried to rape her, with Sharpe delivering the challenge as expected and Berry accepting.
In order to save Sharpe from punishment, Major Hogan sent Sharpe and Berry out on patrol together. When they came under fire from the French, Berry shot Sharpe in the leg and cornered him in a deserted spot, vowing to kill him but to make him beg first, kicking him. He was stopped by Sergeant Harper, who stabbed him in the back and killed him.
